City salaries, plastic bag ban, noise ordinance up for discussion

City Manager Brian Nakamura has a reorganization plan that could generate nearly $1 million in annual savings for the city of Chico. The council Tuesday will discuss salaries for department heads as the restructuring proceeds.(Staff File Photo)

CHICO — The Chico City Council will be asked Tuesday to set maximum salaries for its three new and two existing department heads as it proceeds with reorganization of the city structure.

Under the plan, the five core departments would become administrative services, community development, public works, police and fire — all of which would have department heads whose pay scales would be capped at $160,000 annually.

The proposal also sets the pay scale for the city's assistant city manager at $185,000. City Manager Brian Nakamura has said he hopes to have that vacancy filled by early April, and it's within the same time frame he wants the restructuring completed.

The salaries for the administrative services, community development and public works departments were raised above any current department head salary because of an increase in responsibilities, Nakamura said.

With the police and fire department leaderships remaining the same, eight remaining department heads are vying for three positions. Those who are not selected to lead the new departments will no longer have positions with the city, unless a job is found for them elsewhere.

Departments to be eliminated or restructured include finance, human resources and risk management, planning services, building and development services, and information technologies.

Nakamura has said the restructuring could generate nearly $1 million in annual savings.

Also Tuesday, the proposed plastic bag ban will be up for discussion again.

At its Jan. 2 meeting, the council directed City Attorney Lori Barker to draft an ordinance regarding single-use plastic carryout bags. She needs additional direction regarding the scope of the regulations with regard to types of stores affected. The council will also be asked what it wants as the ordinance's implementation date.

After additional council direction, the environmental analysis will be completed and the first reading of the ordinance will be scheduled.

In other business, the consent agenda includes a recommendation that the council approve a recommendation from Police Chief Kirk Trostle to approve liquor licenses for BevMo!, which is planning to open in the Target shopping center. Special approval is required because of an over saturation of liquor licenses within the census tract.

Trostle will also be giving a six-month review of the city's noise ordinance. The council will also consider a request by former City Council candidate Toby Schindelbeck to support a resolution supporting the Second Amendment.

Also Tuesday, the city will hear an annual progress report on the housing element of the General Plan, and it will be presented with an update on the Clean & Safe Initiative. The initiative is a group of concerned community members and organizations that have been meeting every other week to come up with ways to combat ongoing — and sometimes growing — community challenges, including homelessness and alcohol abuse.